1st Mesa amp / Mark V / And now some questions...

andretoscano · Feb 1, 2015

Hi again.

Happy new owner of a great Mark V, yada yada yada... (I already expressed my appreciation in another topic: http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=69157 ).

Ok, so here are some questions regarding this amp, maybe someone can help out:

1. When I power up the Mark V, even in stand-by mode and without anything connected to it (appart from the speaker cabinet), I hear this electrical-sizzling-type hiss sound coming from the back. The kind of sound that you would associate with an electric incandescent lamp on its last breath.
It's not big and it's not annoying in way. It's just there. I would feel better if I knew this kind of behavior is normal.
There's some hum coming from the amp too (not the cabinet, but from the amp) but again, it's not problematic. Easily masked when playing at low levels.

2. Still haven't had time to plow through and get to know all the modes in depth, but one thing puzzled me. The difference in gain that I get between the Mark IV and the Extreme modes.
You would think the Extreme has more.... extreme gain, right? In fact, it's the other way around. I can get fully creamy saturated metal-like sounds with the Mark IV mode easily. Switch over to the Extreme mode and it cleans up a bit, and I can't certainly achieve the same gain as with the Mark IV.
Is this normal?

3. I was wondering if it's possible or advisable to disconnect the Speaker Output and just use the Slave Output directly into my soundcard (then pick-up the signal and use software cab simulators) or something like a Two Note Cab simulator?
Will this harm the amp?

4. The EQ switch at the footswitch doesn't seem to be working. The EQ LED (on the footswitch) goes on or off, reflecting what I choose at the amp side. But the switch on the footswitch itself doesn't seem to be able to switch on/off the EQ on the amp side.
Is this just a faulty switch or am I missing something here?
And yes, I have the EQ turned all the way down to EQ FS in all the individual channels.

Guess this it for now.

Thanks!

thunder100 · Feb 1, 2015

andretoscano said:
Hi again.

Happy new owner of a great Mark V, yada yada yada... (I already expressed my appreciation in another topic: http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=69157 ).

Ok, so here are some questions regarding this amp, maybe someone can help out:

1. When I power up the Mark V, even in stand-by mode and without anything connected to it (appart from the speaker cabinet), I hear this electrical-sizzling-type hiss sound coming from the back. The kind of sound that you would associate with an electric incandescent lamp on its last breath.
It's not big and it's not annoying in way. It's just there. I would feel better if I knew this kind of behavior is normal. -->THAT is most likely the FAN
There's some hum coming from the amp too (not the cabinet, but from the amp) but again, it's not problematic. Easily masked when playing at low levels.-->check your house grounding.Must be really good or you are near some power lines

2. Still haven't had time to plow through and get to know all the modes in depth, but one thing puzzled me. The difference in gain that I get between the Mark IV and the Extreme modes.
You would think the Extreme has more.... extreme gain, right? In fact, it's the other way around. I can get fully creamy saturated metal-like sounds with the Mark IV mode easily. Switch over to the Extreme mode and it cleans up a bit, and I can't certainly achieve the same gain as with the Mark IV.
Is this normal?-->Check your presence setting on both.With same Presence and same gain( and no or same EQ) Extreme will be higher gain(more then you ever will need)

3. I was wondering if it's possible or advisable to disconnect the Speaker Output and just use the Slave Output directly into my soundcard (then pick-up the signal and use software cab simulators) or something like a Two Note Cab simulator?-->NO then you need an Attenuator (load) on the amp.Read the manual on this
Will this harm the amp?-->YES in a long run.Mesa's can stand some unloaded time but not forecer

4. The EQ switch at the footswitch doesn't seem to be working. The EQ LED (on the footswitch) goes on or off, reflecting what I choose at the amp side. But the switch on the footswitch itself doesn't seem to be able to switch on/off the EQ on the amp side.-->is the footswirch correctly enabled on the rear side?eventually turn the kabel arround,That cables are biggest Mark V issues
Is this just a faulty switch or am I missing something here?
And yes, I have the EQ turned all the way down to EQ FS in all the individual channels.

Guess this it for now.

Thanks!

hope that helps

Roland

andretoscano · Feb 1, 2015

thunder100 said:
andretoscano said:

Ok, so here are some questions regarding this amp, maybe someone can help out:

1. When I power up the Mark V, even in stand-by mode and without anything connected to it (appart from the speaker cabinet), I hear this electrical-sizzling-type hiss sound coming from the back. The kind of sound that you would associate with an electric incandescent lamp on its last breath.
It's not big and it's not annoying in way. It's just there. I would feel better if I knew this kind of behavior is normal.

Click to expand...

-->THAT is most likely the FAN

Actually, the noise is there, wether the fan is turned on or not. It's a constant, low level, mid-to-high frequency electric sizzling noise.
It really doesn't bother me, as it's quiet (lower than the fan itself) and I certainly can't hear it when playing. Just wanted to know if it's a normal noise to expect.

thunder100 said:
andretoscano said:

2. Still haven't had time to plow through and get to know all the modes in depth, but one thing puzzled me. The difference in gain that I get between the Mark IV and the Extreme modes.
You would think the Extreme has more.... extreme gain, right? In fact, it's the other way around. I can get fully creamy saturated metal-like sounds with the Mark IV mode easily. Switch over to the Extreme mode and it cleans up a bit, and I can't certainly achieve the same gain as with the Mark IV.
Is this normal?

Click to expand...

-->Check your presence setting on both.With same Presence and same gain( and no or same EQ) Extreme will be higher gain(more then you ever will need)

Well, the Presence and Gain being the same for both modes (afterall, they share the same channel) definitely tells me something's going on.
I will make a few more tests and post them in a different topic, if I need to pull some more attention to this.

thunder100 said:
andretoscano said:

4. The EQ switch at the footswitch doesn't seem to be working. The EQ LED (on the footswitch) goes on or off, reflecting what I choose at the amp side. But the switch on the footswitch itself doesn't seem to be able to switch on/off the EQ on the amp side.

Click to expand...

-->is the footswirch correctly enabled on the rear side?eventually turn the kabel arround,That cables are biggest Mark V issues

I will check out the cable. Maybe even get the connectors and solder a new (shorter) cable myself.

Thanks!

Andre' Toscano

jmusolino · Apr 16, 2015

I've found that Extreme can, in fact, seem a good bit cleaner than the MkIV or MkIIC+ settings, but the gain is greater. Weird, but true. In fact, I use Extreme with the gain around 1:00, EQ off, and I use it usually at 90 watts gigging (10 watts in the house!). It may give the impression of less gain because there's less grit. You'll probably find the same thing going to 90 watts. It may simply be the additional headroom. Anyway, it's, to my ears, just an incredible sound, especially with a Les Paul. I still have and use my 1974 Boogie 60/100/EQ, and I'll use that on 100 watts for the same reason. Tons of gain and sustain, but it seems to smooth out better. In each case, there's less compression, but Extreme can definitely get insane, especially if you crank the gain and use that V-shape in the EQ.

screamingdaisy · Apr 17, 2015

andretoscano said:
2. Still haven't had time to plow through and get to know all the modes in depth, but one thing puzzled me. The difference in gain that I get between the Mark IV and the Extreme modes.
You would think the Extreme has more.... extreme gain, right? In fact, it's the other way around. I can get fully creamy saturated metal-like sounds with the Mark IV mode easily. Switch over to the Extreme mode and it cleans up a bit, and I can't certainly achieve the same gain as with the Mark IV.
Is this normal?

Yes. "Extreme" mode is similar to "Modern" on a Dual Recto. Instead of it changing the preamp it reconfigures the power amp and bypasses the negative feedback loop, creating a different tone and response. Mark IV and Extreme modes should have identical gain, however Extreme will sound less distorted due to the new EQ/response curve.

3. I was wondering if it's possible or advisable to disconnect the Speaker Output and just use the Slave Output directly into my soundcard (then pick-up the signal and use software cab simulators) or something like a Two Note Cab simulator?
Will this harm the amp?

Yes. It was already mentioned but the amp needs a load or the transformer will fry.

4. The EQ switch at the footswitch doesn't seem to be working. The EQ LED (on the footswitch) goes on or off, reflecting what I choose at the amp side. But the switch on the footswitch itself doesn't seem to be able to switch on/off the EQ on the amp side.
Is this just a faulty switch or am I missing something here?
And yes, I have the EQ turned all the way down to EQ FS in all the individual channels.

Does your cable have a centre pin? If the amp was sold off the floor they may have given you the wrong cable.

This is a Mark V connector:

This is a Recto connector:

Hardy · Apr 21, 2015

6th post here gents so be gentle.

I have both the Roadster and Mark V and their the same cable (7 pin). I bought the roadster in Perth Western Australia and later bought Ibanez4life's MKV from this forum a few years back from where ever he lives in the states and only noticed a week or so ago that both were a 7 pin cable.

The reason I noticed was that I got my shiny new Schroeder Radio Lane in the post so I wanted to put it through its paces and play it through both amps. I run both my Roadster and MKV together via a rocktron patch mate, g major and a Lehle duel (cant remember) to lift the ground of one of the amps. Anyway I couldn't be assed rigging it all up from the last practice I had with the band so I pieced it all together just running it using the foot switches that came with the amps and while trying to find the correct cable for the MKV and roadster I noticed they where the same.

I would take a pic or two but unfortunately I'm 2000km's away in sunny Port Hedland.......yes this place is a sh!t_h01e!!

tele_jas · Apr 21, 2015

jmusolino said:
I've found that Extreme can, in fact, seem a good bit cleaner than the MkIV or MkIIC+ settings, but the gain is greater.

This is so odd how different people perceive the Extreme mode? I feel it's lacking in gain when compared to the Mark IV mode.

I play a single coil Telecaster and have the gain maxed out on ch3.... In Mark IV mode, I can chugga-chugga to Metallica all day or nail the Stryper mid-heavy, over gain-y tone..... and my leads have a ton of sustain..... In the Extreme mode, it's just not enough for any harder rock/metal IMO (with a single coil).

I was a bit disappointed in the Extreme mode myself, I like the tone but feel it needs more gain. I'd like to try a humbucker guitar through it some day.

Authorized Boogie · Apr 21, 2015

Hardy said:
6th post here gents so be gentle.

I have both the Roadster and Mark V and their the same cable (7 pin). I bought the roadster in Perth Western Australia and later bought Ibanez4life's MKV from this forum a few years back from where ever he lives in the states and only noticed a week or so ago that both were a 7 pin cable.

The reason I noticed was that I got my shiny new Schroeder Radio Lane in the post so I wanted to put it through its paces and play it through both amps. I run both my Roadster and MKV together via a rocktron patch mate, g major and a Lehle duel (cant remember) to lift the ground of one of the amps. Anyway I couldn't be assed rigging it all up from the last practice I had with the band so I pieced it all together just running it using the foot switches that came with the amps and while trying to find the correct cable for the MKV and roadster I noticed they where the same.

I would take a pic or two but unfortunately I'm 2000km's away in sunny Port Hedland.......yes this place is a sh!t_h01e!!

Both of those amps require an 8-pin cable...get that sorted and you'll be all set!

Hardy · Apr 22, 2015

Authorized Boogie said:
Hardy said:

6th post here gents so be gentle.

I have both the Roadster and Mark V and their the same cable (7 pin). I bought the roadster in Perth Western Australia and later bought Ibanez4life's MKV from this forum a few years back from where ever he lives in the states and only noticed a week or so ago that both were a 7 pin cable.

The reason I noticed was that I got my shiny new Schroeder Radio Lane in the post so I wanted to put it through its paces and play it through both amps. I run both my Roadster and MKV together via a rocktron patch mate, g major and a Lehle duel (cant remember) to lift the ground of one of the amps. Anyway I couldn't be assed rigging it all up from the last practice I had with the band so I pieced it all together just running it using the foot switches that came with the amps and while trying to find the correct cable for the MKV and roadster I noticed they where the same.

I would take a pic or two but unfortunately I'm 2000km's away in sunny Port Hedland.......yes this place is a sh!t_h01e!!

Click to expand...

Both of those amps require an 8-pin cable...get that sorted and you'll be all set!

FK!! an Engineer that cant count = dangerous!! I'll be a little more attentive next time

and will have a look when I get home in a week

1st Mesa amp / Mark V / And now some questions...

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